Annual Report Growing communities one idea at a time.

Transcription

1 Annual Report Growing communities one idea at a time.

2 Community Futures BC is part of the National CF Network consisting of 268 offices across Canada Growing communities one idea at a time

3 Annual Report Table of Contents Who we are, What we do page 1 Message from Robert Annis, CFBC Chair page 2 Staff & Board of Directors page 3 Community Futures Helps Aspiring Entrepreneurs page 4 Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) page 5 Community Futures Connects Businesses with Buyers page 6 Community Futures Fosters Economic Development page 7 Community Futures as Partners page 8 Community Futures Helps Grow Successful Small Business page 9 CENTRAL REGION page 9 ISLAND COASTAL REGION page 10 NORTHEAST REGION page 11 NORTHWEST REGION page 12 SOUTHEAST REGION page 13 SOUTHWEST REGION page 14 CF Indigenous Business Spotlight page 15 Wildfire Business Transition Project page 20 Volunteers are the Foundation of Our Success page 21 Community Futures Awards 2017 page 22 Community Futures BC Map and Network page 23 Growing communities one idea at a time.

4 Who we are. What we do. Originally established in 1985 by the Federal Government, Community Futures takes a grassroots approach to community and economic development in rural communities. Our experts offer local assistance from 34 offices located throughout rural BC. Last year Community Futures offices in BC approved 690 loans valued at over $36.1 Million, leveraging an additional $26.1 Million into the rural BC economy. The Network of 245 Staff and 374 volunteers, helped to create or maintain employment for 2,049 individuals. Each of the 34 offices in BC are guided by a local Board of Directors, who volunteer their time, knowledge and passion to guide a team of staff in providing a wide array of business and community economic development services to serve the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses in their service delivery area. These services, all of which strengthen and diversify local economies include: Business Development, Training and Counselling Community Economic Development Small Business Financing Self Employment Assistance programs Special programs and services targeted towards youth & entrepreneurs with disabilities # of Loans ,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, # of Jobs Created / Maintained MILLIONS # of Dollars Disbursed

5 Annual Report Message from Robert Annis, Chair As another year passes it is with pride to be able to report on the accomplishments of the Community Futures British Columbia network over this past year. In , the BC CF Network collectively approved 690 loans, assisting in the creation of 2,049 jobs and investing over $26.1 Million into the rural Canadian economy. Community Futures British Columbia s new Executive Director, Cheryl Johnson took the reigns in June 2017 and has had a busy year meeting staff and volunteers from across the Network. She has also been liaising with our many partners and stakeholders strengthening relationships with various levels of Government. On that front, CFBC held a very successful Provincial government event in Victoria, this spring that saw over 40 MLA s and Ministers attend, with the goal to communicate how Community Futures supports small business in Rural Communities throughout BC. The event greatly increased our organization's profile within the BC Government and has paved the way for further conversations about how we can all work together to strengthen our communities. Community Futures received a 3-year renewal of our core service agreement with Western Economic Diversification and were also awarded a 3-year contract for our Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) including our newest initiative, the Urban Entrepreneurs with Disabilities program (UEDP), which services the Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria areas. These new and multi year contract agreements were most welcome and provide beneficial stability across multiple years. However, our CFBC Board, Pan-West Community Futures and the Community Futures Network of Canada continue to work hard to ensure that there is even more good news on this front next year. There were some challenges this year too. In 2017, British Columbia was hit with the worst wildfire season in history, resulting in massive damage and losses, including a loss valued at over 24 million dollars from 493 rural businesses. In response to the devastation, Community Futures, in partnership with Western Economic Diversification, initiated the Wildfire Business Transition Project. Five Community Futures offices in the areas that were directly affected by the wildfires Community Futures Cariboo Chilcotin, Central Interior First Nations, North Cariboo, Sun Country, and Thompson Country, all received funding of up to $200,000 each to provide targeted support to help small businesses rebuild in their affected communities. The project has proven to be a huge success to date, with staff from those local offices directly assisting 935 local rural businesses, 200 of which were indigenous businesses, to access badly needed funding and assistance to rebuild in their communities. As detailed in this Annual Report, the BC Network of Community Futures organizations continues to contribute greatly to BC s economic growth and renewal. These results are made possible because of the dedicated teams of CF professionals, many of whom are volunteers, and a strong partnership with Western Economic Diversification, the BC provincial government and many others. In closing I would like to extend my appreciation to all our funders, CF staff and volunteers for their dedication and commitment to their communities and to the Community Futures program in BC. 2

6 CFBC Staff Team Cheryl Johnson Executive Director Tracy Francis Operations & Member Service Coordinator Catherine Simmons Committee & Board Liaison Kim Ho Accounting Board of Directors Robert Annis Chair Michael Guarnery Vice Chair Wendy Prystay Treasurer Wendy Smitka Past Chair Brenda Gould Director Russ Beerling Director Andrea Wilkey Managers Representative Kevin Dorrius Managers Representative Troy Dungate Director Larry Casper Indigenous Advisor 3

7 Annual Report Community Futures Helps Aspiring Entrepreneurs CF North Okanagan s EnterpriZe Challenge program celebrates and supports local entrepreneurship. Participants are assigned a mentor to coach and prepare them for their business presentations, which are then judged by a panel of experts. In addition to the coaching and mentorship provided by their business community s experts, the top three new businesses receive cash and business services valued in excess of $35, Launched in 2014 by CF Greater Trail, Junior Dragon s Den is a student business competition for entrepreneurs from Grades 7 to college/trades and university level, to create their own summer job/ business or to expand upon an existing business. Junior Dragons Den consists of 3 regional qualifying competitions, the winners of which automatically advance to compete in the Junior Dragons Den Provincial Championship. In , the competition was Columbia Basin wide and featured regional competitions, the winners of which advanced to the Junior Dragons Den Championship that was hosted at the Charles Bailey Theatre in Trail BC. Junior Dragons who qualify for the competition are matched with mentors from the local business community who assist them with preparing a dynamic one-page business plan and final video pitch. LEAP! - Local Entrepreneur Accelerator Program Community Futures Sunshine Coast and SFU partner in this eight-week accelerator program for social entrepreneurs. The accelerator teaches people how to evaluate and test their business ideas using action-oriented principles. Eight participants attend weekly classroom instruction, with an online SFU instructor and curriculum, and at the end of the program CF Sunshine Coast hosts a celebration where participants launch their businesses and pitch to friends, potential customers and investors. Over 35 past participants have gone on to grow and establish many of the well-known and loved businesses on the Sunshine Coast. 4

8 Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) The rural Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) provides support and access to business information, training and financing to help reduce the obstacles that people with disabilities or ongoing health issues may face in the pursuit of self-employment or starting their own business. The program began in 1997 through funding from Western Economic Diversification and is delivered through the Community Futures Association of BC and its network of 34 Community Futures offices across the province. Since November 1, 2006, the rural EDP program has provided 489 loans valued at $14.5 million to entrepreneurs with self-disclosed disabilities, leveraging an additional $8 million from other sources and creating or maintaining 1,182 jobs. In addition, it has provided 3,858 hours of direct client assistance through one-on-one business counseling, mentoring, and coaching. New this year, CFBC has been appointed the delivery agency for the Urban EDP Program in the Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria areas. The urban program assists clients who are applying for a loan through a financial institution, such as a bank or credit union. They may be referred to Community Futures to access complementary/sponsored services such as one-to-one Business skills coaching, mentorship or support, which may better aid them in a successful application process with that institution. 5

9 Annual Report Community Futures Connects Businesses with Buyers Managed and administered by CF Central Kootenay, Imagine Kootenay is a regional jointinitiative of local governments, economic development organizations and Chambers of Commerce with the aim of attracting investment and a diversified workforce to the Kootenay and Boundary region. Imagine Kootenay is the combination of two previous initiatives, Invest Kootenay and Work West Kootenay. In 2016 Imagine Kootenay received the Economic Development Marketing Innovation award from the B.C. Economic Development Association for its web platform and its overall collaborative approach to economic development. Venture Connect focuses on business retention throughout BC during unprecedented demographic shifting and business transitions. As a subsidiary/working partner with Community Futures throughout BC, economic development is the foundation that enables Venture Connect to fill a very unique space within the business buy and sell marketplace. It is important to recognize local knowledge and experience and utilize the collaborative relationships with Community Futures, Economic Development Agencies, Immigration Consultants, Real Estate Agents, Brokers and Government to achieve mutual goals. During fiscal 2017/2018, 1,198 buyer /seller matches were made, and BC CF s wrote 37 succession loans while Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba wrote 5, 1 and 3 respectively. 6

10 InvestlocalBC.ca is an initiative of CF Stuart Nechako for local nonprofit organizations, the arts communities and business start-ups to create online forums to fund, support and evolve their initiatives and projects in rural BC communities. InvestLocalBC.ca accelerates creative ideas into reality by providing an online platform to seek financial investment and collaboration through crowdfunding. Community Futures Fosters Economic Development Annual Kootenay Columbia Boundary Regional CED Forum CF Revelstoke, CF East Kootenay, CF Boundary, CF Greater Trail and CF Central Kootenay organize an annual regional CED forum to bring together community leaders and CED practitioners from across the region to collaborate on community economic development issues. CF Boundary hosted the forum in May 2017 with an agriculture theme. The next forum will be held in September 2018 in Cranbrook and the theme will be A Sharing Economy/Innovation and Collaboration - Opportunities/Challenges for Economic Developers and Local Policy Makers. Central Interior First Nations Agricultural Forum Annually, Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations host an Agricultural Forum. The primary purpose of this conference is to provide Indigenous agriculture clients with information, resources, and contacts. The Indigenous Agriculture Forum offers the sharing of Agricultural knowledge and innovative practices. The event includes speakers from the Aboriginal agriculture community, a lending panel, agriculture businesses, producers, retailers, vendor/information tables as well as local Aboriginal, provincial and federal governments. The 3rd Annual Agricultural Forum will be held in Kamloops in October

11 Annual Report Community Futures as Partners Export Navigator Export Navigator offers businesses access to community-based export specialists who can provide a personalized, step-by-step approach to exporting and help connect businesses to the market information, export programs, financial services and business development experts they need at every stage of the process. Export Navigator is provided by CF Fraser Fort George, CF Alberni-Clayoquot, CF Central Kootenay, CF North Okanagan and CF Pacific Northwest. The Export Navigator pilot project was initially launched in four communities in October 2016, and in April 2017; the Rural Economic Development Strategy provided financial support to expand Export Navigator to two new rural regional communities. In order to continue to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in rural regions get their goods and services to new international and interprovincial markets, the pilot was extended for an additional six months in September 2017 and an additional year in March It is a joint-ministry initiative led by the Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology with support from the Federal Government, Small Business BC, Community Futures, and the Comox Valley Economic Development Society. Self Emplyment Program of BC The Self Employment Program provides financial assistance to Employment Insurance or Reachback eligible applicants who want to start their own business or purchase an existing business, in which they have had no prior ownership. The program provides income support, business plan development support, a variety of business skills development workshops, one-on-one mentoring, business counselling, collaboration with peers and experiential learning in hands-on workshops. The Self Employment program is provided by 19 Community Futures offices in rural BC. A referral from WorkBC is required to access the program. Indigenous Business Development Services IBDS is an initiative of Haida Gwaii Community Futures and is dedicated to supporting new and existing Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses/organizations in British Columbia. The IBDS provides early-stage entrepreneurial and business training and other business supports through various programs. The Indigenous Business Development Services Program is funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada. The program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants who want to provide training for small business and entrepreneurs in their community. 8

12 Community Futures Helps Grow Successful Small Business Central Region Central Interior First Nations Central Okanagan Nicola Valley North Okanagan Okanagan Similkameen Shuswap Sun Country Thompson Country Number of Loans 84 Value of Loans $6,515,014 Amount Leveraged $6,729,295 Jobs Created/ Maintained 379 Staff 84 Volunteers 106 NICHOLAS ALEXANDER LANDSCAPING Vernon s Nick Moffat comes by his profession honestly. Having grown up in his parents garden centre, it was a natural progression for him to work his way up in the industry, first as a landscaper and now as the owner of Nicholas Alexander Home & Garden. I worked at the garden centre my whole childhood, explains Moffat, who leases the same property along the Swan Lake Auto Mile where his parents, Scott and Juanita, operated Art Knapp Plantland for nearly 30 years. I started selling hot dogs in front of the store when I was 10 because I wanted to buy a snowboard. I did it for three seasons, and then I started in the garden centre in customer service. Moffat, now 31, went from sweeping floors and helping customers carry their purchases, to eventually managing the store for four years until his parents closed it in He says he would have loved to take over the family business then but adds: It just wasn t in the cards at that moment in time to take it on. Instead, Moffat and his wife, Jamee, started Nicholas Alexander Landscaping in To get it started, though, they needed some capital. That s when the Community Futures Loans Program entered the picture. I knew Rob Short (loans coordinator) from previous endeavours and came to him with my business proposal, says Moffat. I supplied the numbers and he helped me through it and got me started with a business start-up loan. That loan helped the Moffats purchase the landscaping tools, trailers and truck he needed to begin operating. They haven t looked back since. It got us off the ground, says Moffat. It was just a really big help because we were growing at such a rapid pace. Even after the first season, we doubled our crew. We needed more tools, more equipment more of everything. That loan helped us achieve that. Rob Short, loans coordinator at Community Futures North Okanagan, says Nick s passion for his business is exemplary. His professional approach to providing solutions to his clients needs is paramount to Nick and his team, which, in turn, has resulted in the business receiving award-winning recognition in the market place. Community Futures is very pleased to have been able to help Nick with his growing business. nicholasalexanderlandscapes.com 9

13 Annual Report Community Futures Helps Grow Successful Small Business Island Coastal Region Alberni Clayoquot Central Island Cowichan Howe Sound Mount Waddington Powell River Strathcona Sunshine Coast Nuu Chah Nulth Number of Loans 215 Value of Loans $12,493,887 Amount Leveraged $9,519,413 Jobs Created/ Maintained 725 Staff 41 Volunteers 100 PORT ALBERNI MARINE FUELS AND SERVICES The physical planning of a marine fuel business, the negotiation of location, and the ensuring of regulatory compliance to build and open a marine service station is not without its challenges but was something that Doug and Sandi Smith were able to accomplish largely on their own. Securing the necessary financing for the project was something entirely different; without ownership of any land from which the business was to be operated, traditional lending institutions would not help. Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot was not only willing to look at the venture based on the business plan and past proven ability to operate a marine service station, but also understood that the proposed business was a much-needed service currently lacking within the community. Community Futures worked with other non-traditional lenders to secure the total amount of financing required. It is without question that we could not have built our business, in both the physical construction and financial growth senses, without the support of Community Futures. Doug and Sandi Smith. Last year Frank Witter, Phill Padgham and Kevin Bradshaw started to look into creating their own kayak and hiking business in Ucluelet, BC. Able to raise most of the required startup capital themselves, they approached banks for the remaining amount. When that approach was unsuccessful, they contacted Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot to see if they could help. Not only did Community Futures provide the required capital but the funding was made available in time for the kayak order to be placed ensuring the kayaks would be ready for summer One of the first steps that allowed Hello Nature Adventure Tours to have such a successful first season and doubling the kayaking tour projections. 10

14 Community Futures Helps Grow Successful Small Business Northeast Region Cariboo Chilcotin Fraser Fort George North Cariboo Peace Liard Stuart Nechako Number of Loans 107 Value of Loans $5,018,689 Amount Leveraged $1,369,590 Jobs Created/ Maintained 376 Staff 31 Volunteers 54 BIG CANYON RAFTING Big Canyon Rafting, based in Quesnel and Williams Lake, attracts both residents and tourists with a range of whitewater rafting activities, expeditions and day trips designed for every skill level. Big Canyon Rafting ensures safety is always the number one priority, while also providing customers the best possible experience on the Quesnel, Chilcotin, Taseko, and Cariboo Rivers. Owners Julie and Tyler Dinsdale note that, we have applied for and successfully expanded our tenure over the past few years to provide more options to our clients, many of whom return year after year. With the goal of further expanding and diversifying their business by purchasing a new bus, Julie and Tyler obtained a loan through the Community Futures North Cariboo office. The new bus enabled Big Canyon Rafting to better serve a wider range of clients, by providing transportation that feels fresh, and current. Heavily dependent on tourism, the 2017 summer season in the Cariboo region adversely affected the business, but Julie notes that the Community Futures has continued to be nothing but supportive during this challenging time. 11

15 Annual Report Community Futures Helps Grow Successful Small Business Northwest Region 16/37 Haida Gwaii Nadina Pacific Northwest Number of Loans 94 Value of Loans $2,108,944 Amount Leveraged $689,000 Jobs Created/ Maintained 100 Staff 18 Volunteers 32 KHUTZEYMATEEN WILDERNESS LODGE LTD. Founded by two individuals in 2015, and built by hand, Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge is located in the K'tzim-a-deen (Khutzeymateen) Inlet sheltered by the Coast Mountains and just south of the Alaska panhandle on British Columbia s wild north coast. Here, within the traditional territory of the Tsimshian Nation, lives a healthy and indomitable population of coastal grizzly bears. Located within this unique conservancy and grizzly bear sanctuary, the lodge is the perfect home and gateway to view these magnificent animals in a natural and unspoiled wilderness area. Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge is the only permitted lodge within the Khutzeymateen Protected Area. The floating lodge offers an opportunity to enjoy all the comforts of home with plenty of room to stretch out and take in the awe-inspiring wilderness. Community Futures 16/37 assisted the owners with strategic financing to term out their long- term debt and allow them to continue their day-to-day operations more effectively. Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge has developed into a world-class tour operator and wildlife viewing guide, gaining recognition from Air Canada Enroute magazine, British Columbia Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, among others. 12

16 Community Futures Helps Grow Successful Small Business Southeast Region Boundary Central Kootenay East Kootenay Greater Trail Revelstoke Number of Loans 114 Value of Loans $7,928,508 Amount Leveraged $6,414,545 Jobs Created/ Maintained 387 Staff 55 Volunteers 52 GREENWOOD AUTO CENTRE Community Futures Boundary first assisted the Shaw s in August 2000 with the start-up of their business, Greenwood Auto Centre Ltd. Originally operating as a Petrocan station with a convenience store and licensed mechanical repairs. They were the only fuel supplier in BC s smallest City, Greenwood. Over the past eighteen years Community Futures has assisted the Shaw s through every stage of business ownership. From the initial business planning and purchase of the business through the many changes they experienced. Over the years the Shaw s added as the business grew, including tow truck services, a café serving hot meals, gifts and expanded the quantity of groceries they carried. Following the sale of the gas station assets Greenwood Auto Centre Ltd continues to provide mechanical repairs and metal recycling from another location in Greenwood. 13

17 Annual Report Community Futures Helps Grow Successful Small Business Southwest Region North Fraser South Fraser Stó:lõ Number of Loans 42 Value of Loans $2,203,477 Amount Leveraged $1,466,560 Jobs Created/ Maintained 80 Staff 11 Volunteers 30 TERELLA ENERGY SYSTEMS John Kenna first met with Community Futures North Fraser in 2013 when he started his graphite plate manufacturing company, Terrella Energy Systems Ltd. They had received their first purchase order and needed a loan to buy new equipment to complete the order. The graphite plates are primarily for use in hydrogen fuel cells and most Terrella customers are in the automotive sector. But the move to alternate fuels for cars, buses and trucks has been a slow and evolving process. Terrella continued to land new purchase orders but they tended to be small orders for research projects. These purchase orders kept the doors open and helped Terrella establish an impressive list of clients, but it took until 2017 for the first larger breakthrough and for the company to need another round of funding from Community Futures. The value of the Terrella technology is in how the fuel cell plates are manufactured and the potential for high volume production at a very low price by forming graphite using roller embossing. Terrella is now getting their first volume orders and the change according to John is because "The fuel cell industry is finally looking at technologies that are scalable and cost effective." While the market has a long way to go, manufacturers are no longer working to prove the technology, now they are working to make fuel cell vehicles that are competitively priced The Community Futures loan in 2017 was instrumental in helping establish Terella as a major contender in the fuel cell industry enabling them to secure larger contracts and setting them on the road to international success. 14

18 CF Indigenous Business Spotlight Sto:lo Central Interior First Nations Nuu-Chah-Nulth Haida Gwaii CFBC has four Indigenous CF Offices, whose mandate is to promote regional economic growth through business development services and training, by supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs and communities to become financially independent. EAGLE TALON ADVENTURES North end paddlers on Haida Gwaii can now fuel their sense of adventure with the launch of the island s newest kayaking outfitter, Eagle Talon Adventures (ETA). ETA is a Haida owned and operated kayaking outfitter located in Old Masset. With hasslefree kayak rentals available out of her home-based business, Cynthia Samuels, Owner/ Operator, offers tourists, visitors and residents access to single and tandem kayaks, with options to pick up or transport to nearby north-end sites. Realizing the lack of fun and friendly water activities in northern Haida Gwaii, Cynthia quickly saw a need for her business. She credits the Haida Owned & Operated self-employment program for giving her the skills to turn her dreams into a real business plan, as well as Community Futures for loan financing to launch her business. From concept, Community Futures Haida Gwaii was right there, encouraging and doing whatever they could to make sure I had all the tools, and provided resources when needed, says Samuels. Launching in July 2018, kayak rentals will be available year-round and housed in a newly constructed shed on her property on Eagle Avenue. While there, customers can peruse ETA s retail store, Eagle Talon House, with a collection of ETA branded merchandise - t-shirts, jackets, travel mugs - or enjoy snacks, ice cream, coffee or a local selection of take-home Haida Wild seafood. When asked what lessons she s learned as a new entrepreneur, Cynthia shares, It s a long process [to start-up], things change, ideas change, and that s okay. It s good to go through that time to ensure the resources needed were available, from finances to contractors. 15

19 Annual Report SHAE DOIRON PAINTING SERVICES Standing in front of her peers and being presented the award for Best Youth-Owned Business was a great boost for Shae Doiron, and proof positive she s on the right path. Doiron, who turned 33 the day we caught up with her, is a proud member of the Tseshaht First Nation who had to overcome a number of hurdles to get to where she is. I ve been painting for about five years, she explained, adding that three years ago she was granted a loan that got Shae Doiron Painting & Decorating off the ground. I didn t really know it but in those first two years I was building my reputation. I had no idea people were talking about me in such a good way at the time when I went to Nuu-chah-nulth Economic Development Corporation (NEDC) I had everything I needed to paint the interior of a house; they helped me with all the exterior stuff. And since percent of her spring and summer jobs are exterior work, it s a big part of what I do." She says, I wouldn t be where I m at without their help. Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council had a hand in the early going as well and were the first people to give her a chance. She also credits her parents for their help. Doiron was in Ucluelet the day before her birthday, up to her neck in a renovation and in the middle of a misunderstanding between the bylaw officer and her client regarding the work ordered. All part and parcel for her trade. There s always something you have to learn to give and take do what needs to be done, she said easily, pointing out that when the going gets tough she reminds herself how far she s come. I was in a pretty dark place for a while there, she concedes, adding I found myself with pretty heavy addictions to drugs and alcohol. I was 25 years old going in and out of the hospital, she said when asked about the crossroad in her life. Her son Kayden, the centre of her universe, was five when she decided she was sick and tired of all the lies I had to keep telling my child. Fast forward to today, and Shae is working on seven-and-a-half years clean and sober. I m in a much healthier place now. So, committed to the good life, she goes around the community sharing her story and is now part of a program called Transformations. In the meantime, the journey continues. It s all good. I don t pretend do be better then anybody else, she said. I just strive to be better then who I was yesterday. Painting-Decorating

20 MR T S YARD AND LAWNCARE Talon Bomac is owner operator of Mr. T s Yard and Lawn Care. Talon is a Metis youth who resides in Kamloops, BC. Community Futures Central Interior First Nations first met the young entrepreneur when he visited their office looking for marketing support. Since that time, Talon has been running his successful business. In the winter months, Mr. T Yard & Lawn Care creates other funding streams by diversifying their services to meet the needs of the winter season. This includes snow removal services, fall clean-up, holiday decorating and take-down. T'IT'Q'ET ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY T'it'q'et Economic Development Authority is owned and operated by the members of T'it'q'et First Nation in Lillooet, in the central interior of BC. With the wild fires in BC, the T'it'q'et First Nation was surrounded by fires taking away their ability to gather food resources. It was a priority for the T'it'q'et First Nation, to develop a food security initiative for their members, in the event of a disruption or breakdown of the existing food supply chain by using locally available resources. Studies were conducted to determine needs of the T'it'q'et First Nation. Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations loan assisted T'it'q'et first nation with setting up an Intermediate Technology Food Processing Facility (ITFP). T'it'q'et First Nation provided 2.5 acres for farming, that was fitted with a drip irrigation system, drought tolerant crop, traditional speckled beans, and indigenous food security planting techniques, developing natural farming seed pods (one straw revolution, author Masanobu Fukuoka), cold storage, green houses, tested aeroponics and small solar panels. The Community development initiative is employing community members with potential 17

21 Annual Report careers in agriculture related fields, a percentage of the food harvested goes to Elders and community members. The project is packaging dehydrated foods that include fruit and vegetables, for local venues and food security, some produce is sourced from other farmers surplus harvests, to add to the volume of produce for the T'it'q'et First Nation members. Their product "Amlec" is now available in local venues. Economic opportunities developed with Branding and selling produce under the AMLEC brand which the main focus for the time being is garlic and garlic brokering, with new products being developed. To date the dehydrator has produced in excess of 10,000 lbs of product for community use and retail sale. The program also is working with Thompson Rivers University on hosting horticulture workshops, and a potential 10-month certified horticulture program that is planned for fall The program always wants to encourage the youth of the community, by annually setting up garden tours for hand on experiences. Over the past two years the project has employed many community members. Volunteers from the community and also surrounding communities have offered their time exchange for knowledge and experience. With the ITFP in place and produce sold or packaged for distribution, T'it'q'et First Nation is pursuing St'at'imc certification with regard to growing standards within the St'at'imc Nation. 18

22 BEAR IMAGE PRODUCTIONS Community Futures Stó:lõ provided a small business loan to Bear Image Productions (BIP) to start their business in 2002 and has provided continued ongoing mentorship and support for several years. Bear Image Productions (BIP) is a full-service media production company owned and operated by Tzeachten First Nation member, Sandra Bonner-Pederson (Sandra). BIP is perhaps best known for a series of short local documentaries that air on Shaw Cable called Bear Tracks, which provides an informative and entertaining look at Stó:lõ cultural history. While one of Sandra s passions is telling the story of the Stó:lõ people, BIP has developed expertise in a wide variety of informational, commercial, instructional, and special event videos for companies such as: Douglas College, BC Housing Commission, Preview Builders, the University of the Fraser Valley, School District 33, just to name a few. BIP has the full facilities to produce a project right from the concept to the final master copy, produced in a format to suit the client s needs; i.e. upload to the internet; DVD mpeg. Sandra has a passion for working with First Nations communities through the medium of video. One of Sandra s missions is the preservation of Indigenous culture and heritage. She pursues this mission through BIP by; recording Elders stories, and working with First Nations to produce a visual document of lands, resources, and cultural practices - best seen in the documentary Beautiful Land of the Stó:lõ. BIP also works with local First Nations governments to document treaty forums, record traditional fishing practices, and document Indigenous Title and Rights issues such as Tzeachten First Nations specific claim to traditional lands at Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack. Being a small company, operated primarily by Sandra, allows for the development of a more personal and personable relationship between BIP, its clients, and the youth Sandra mentors in all aspects of media production. Being a lean company also allows youth mentees the opportunity to receive hands-on training from Sandra. The youth are given the opportunity to work and learn the various aspects in productions, such as set design, camera operation, lighting and audio, producing and directing, post production editing, graphic design, etc. With a little influence from Sandra, a few of these youth have gone on to further themselves in the video production industry by attending BCIT s Television Broadcast Program. Sandra believes that this role model position allows youth to learn firsthand from an Indigenous businesswoman. BIP continues to work as a medium for Indigenous cultural preservation and works closely with Indigenous communities throughout the Fraser Valley to preserve their history. 19

23 Annual Report WILDFIRE BUSINESS TRANSITION PROJECT 2017 marked the worst wildfire season in BC s history. Thousands of people were displaced, and the fires had devastating economic impacts on rural communities across much of the province, many of them in regions served by Community Futures. Recognizing the severity of the situation, Community Futures BC and its member network immediately set to work on finding a way to access resources that would help their rural businesses with the recovery and rebuilding effort. In mid-july, a delegation from Community Futures met with members of Western Economic Diversification s Vancouver office to provide them with a better understanding of what was happening on the ground in communities affected by the wildfires. While WD had been instrumental in supporting past economic adjustment initiatives to address changes in BC s fishing and forestry industries, it didn t normally get involved in natural disasters. This was a first. Following that initial meeting, Community Futures worked with WD on developing a proposal that was ultimately successful in accessing $1.3 million in funding to help businesses rebuild. Among those hardest hit were businesses and communities in the regions served by Community Futures Cariboo-Chilcotin, Central Interior First Nations, Sun Country, North Cariboo, and Thompson Country. The funding has allowed those five Community Futures organizations to provide a range of assistance, including: Outreach and advisory services Employer and employee training, business coaching and workshops Access to financing The funding was set up to be as flexible as possible to allow each Community Futures office to design programs that would most benefit the unique needs of their communities. In addition to providing direct support to businesses that were impacted by the fires, the funding from WD will also allow Community Futures to produce a report documenting best practices around the response and recovery efforts related to the disaster. The scope of the project will include all communities affected by the wildfires with a particular focus on businesses and industries, the readiness factor, and the effectiveness of the response. The research is intended to help other communities and organizations facing similar disasters and will include recommendations for future relief programs targeted to small businesses. The Wildfire Business Transition Project will run until the end of December

24 Volunteers are the Foundation of Our Success Community Futures offices recognized their Volunteer of the Year during National Volunteer Week Calvin Carlick (16/37) Jennifer Collette (Alberni-Clayoquot) Leigh Wilson Starchuk (Boundary) Wayne Reeves (Cariboo Chilcotin) Adam Hawryluk (Central Island) Chris Bell (Central Kootenay) Sarah Morden (Cowichan) Gerald Klassen (Greater Trail) Tanya Goertzen (Howe Sound) Warren Beatty (Mt. Waddington) Jean Gerow Marr (Nadina) Jack Polmans (Nicola Valley) Debbie Wiens (North Cariboo) Bryon Brandle (North Okanagan) Brenda Gould (Okanagan-Similkameen) Cameron Schulz (Peace Liard) Lori Brown (Powell River) Jeff Tarry (Shuswap) Jason Campbell (Stó:lõ) Victor Smith (Sun Country) Christine Younghusband (Sunshine Coast) Thank You! 21

25 Annual Report Community Futures BC congratulates the CF award recipients from the 2017 Conference Community Futures Don MacMillan Memorial Award Robert Annis Community Futures Award for Excellence and Innovation Launch-a-Preneur CF Shuswap Community Futures Al McCracken Memorial Award Bob Wright Community Futures Investment Fund Portfolio Award CF Greater Trail 22

26 Community Futures BC Regions 1 5 FORT ST JOHN North East 5. Peace Liard 6. Stuart Nechako 7. Fraser Fort George 8. North Cariboo 9. Cariboo-Chilcotin North West 1. 16/37 2. Haida Gwaii 3. Pacific Northwest 4. Nadina MASSET 2 PRINCE RUPERT 3 TERRACE 4 HOUSTON 6 VANDERHOOF 7 PRINCE GEORGE DAWSON CREEK Central 15. Sun Country 16. Thompson Country 17. Shuswap 18. Nicola Valley 25. Central Okanagan 26. Okanagan North 29. Okanagan Similkameen Central Interior First Nations QUEEN CHARLOTTE 8 QUESNEL 9 WILLIAMS LAKE Vancouver Island / Coastal 10. Mount Waddington 11. Strathcona 12. Powell River 13. Sunshine Coast 14. Howe Sound 19. Alberni-Clayoquot 20. Central Island 21. Cowichan Nuu Chah Nulth PORT MCNEILL CAMPBELL 12 RIVER POWELL 11 RIVER SECHELT PORT 20 ALBERNI NANAIMO 21 DUNCAN 14 SQUAMISH 15 ASHCROFT 22 MISSION CHILLIWACK 23 MERRITT KAMLOOPS PENTICTON GREENWOOD 17 SALMON ARM 26 VERNON 25 KELOWNA GRAND FORKS REVELSTOKE NELSON 31 TRAIL CRANBROOK South West 22. North Fraser 23. South Fraser Stó:lō South East 24. Revelstoke 27. Central Kootenay 28. East Kootenay 30. Boundary 31. Greater Trail 23

27 Annual Report Community Futures BC Network NORTHWEST Community Futures 16/37 Terrace, BC Haida Gwaii Community Futures Masset, BC Community Futures Nadina Houston, BC Community Futures Pacific Northwest Prince Rupert, BC NORTHEAST Community Futures Cariboo Chilcotin Williams Lake, BC Community Futures Fraser Fort George Prince George, BC Community Futures North Cariboo Quesnel, BC Community Futures Peace Liard Dawson Creek, BC Community Futures Stuart Nechako Vanderhoof, BC SOUTHEAST Community Futures Boundary Grand Forks, BC Community Futures Central Kootenay Nelson, BC Community Futures East Kootenay Cranbrook, BC Community Futures Greater Trail Trail, BC Community Futures Revelstoke Revelstoke, BC CENTRAL Community Futures Central Interior First Nations Kamloops, BC Community Futures Nicola Valley Merritt, BC Community Futures Shuswap Salmon Arm, BC Community Futures Sun Country Ashcroft, BC Community Futures Thompson Country Kamloops, BC Community Futures Central Okanagan Kelowna, BC Community Futures North Okanagan Vernon, BC Community Futures Okanagan Similkameen Penticton, BC ISLAND COASTAL Community Futures Alberni Clayoquot Port Alberni, BC Community Futures Mount Waddington Port McNeil, BC Community Futures Central Island Nanaimo, BC Community Futures Cowican Duncan, BC Community Futures Howe Sound Squamish, BC Community Futures Powell River Powell River, BC Community Futures Strathcona Campbell River, BC Community Futures Sunshine Coast Sechelt, BC Nuu Chah Nulth Economic Development Corporation Port Alberni, BC SOUTHWEST Community Futures North Fraser Mission, BC Community Futures South Fraser Chilliwack, BC Sto:lo Community Futures Chilliwack, BC PROVINCIAL ASSOCIATION Community Futures BC Mission, BC

28 Community Futures BC is part of the National CF Network consisting of 268 offices across Canada Growing communities one idea at a time Proudly supported by: This initiative is supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada