- Details
“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.” Demosthenes, Statesman & Orator, Ancient Greece.
Hidden Goldmine Bakery, owned by Cheryl and Brad Freeman, established in 2004, demonstrates this approach. The Hidden Goldmine Bakery was honoured earlier this fall with the Members' Choice Award at the annual Awards Gala dinner of Community Futures Ontario. Cheryl's grandmother's brown sugar fudge recipe was the first stepping stone of evolution for this small business, which has continued to steadily grow over the past 12 years. The original Hidden Goldmine Fudge Nugget not only aligns with the history of their area (the first gold mine in Ontario) but it was immediately identified that this style of baking triggered a "just like Grandma used to make" memory for their customers and that selling this product, and the resulting nostalgic experience, was a winning idea.
This is a true grassroots story. Cheryl and her daughters would sell their baking at craft sales and fairs within their local communities. It's from these humble beginnings the Freemans created a small bakery (just 400 square feet) that was built onto their family home in 2007. No doubt, many of you local readers will recall visiting the bakery in those early days and the warmth associated with being welcomed into their home, literally.
- Details
Bancroft North Hastings Heritage Museum establishes Genealogy Research Centre
Federal Investment of $3,000 to Increase Visitors and Create One Part-Time Job
August 3, 2017 Bancroft
LOCAL INITIATIVES PROGRAM FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT.
The Bancroft North Hastings Heritage Museum will benefit from an investment announced today by the Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin and Mike Bossio, Member of Parliament for Hastings−Lennox and Addington.
The CFDC of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin is pleased to provide support to the Bancroft North Hastings Heritage Museum with an investment of $3,000 through the Community Futures Program. The funding will support the establishment of a Genealogy Research Centre. The new Centre is an important part of the Museum’s expanding programs and offerings, which will result in an increase in the number of visitors and one part-time job.
People of all ages are participating in retrieving historical data associated with their families. If you have ever wondered about your ancestors, you will now be able to research your family tree at the new Genealogy Research Centre with the assistance of staff and volunteers at the Bancroft North Hastings Heritage Museum.
The Bancroft Museum offers many documents, photos and artifacts which can be used in these searches. This generous contribution from the CFDC will allow the Museum to combine the historical information now housed locally with the opportunities offered online. With the addition of computer equipment, genealogy resources will be available to the public, including searches by surname, historical persons, obituaries and historical collections such as vital records, census and military records and family searches.
- Details
Adding Value to Your Waterfront Property
“Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. The act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.” says Peter Drucker, "the founder of modern management."
Cottage Docks Inc., established 2003, demonstrates this innovation. Constantly creative & innovative, their main objective is to provide a dock system that is specific to your needs and that adds to the value of your property
by providing high quality waterfront products such as boat lifts, docks and accessories.
Cottage Docks Inc. has been a client of Community Futures Development Corporation of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin (CFDC) since 2012. In 2015, Cottage Docks Inc. owner, James Train saw an opportunity in the market for a better option for docking personal watercraft. The existing norm was to simply tie the watercraft off to the side of the dock. Train worked to develop a better solution.
Cottage Docks Inc. Offers Innovative Docking Solution for Personal Water Craft Owners
Train developed a new product that becomes part of the existing docking system that protects the watercraft and rider when leaving or docking. He created a floating dry dock system that you just drive on and roll off that attaches and blends into your existing floating dock. With the support of CFDC who provided advice and financing including a non-repayable contribution through the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP), Cottage Docks Inc. was successful in taking a product idea from concept to production and to market. Cottage Docks Inc. offers a great system for docking of the Personal Water Craft (PWC) Port. Jim Etmanski, CFDC Chair, says that “Innovation and job creation are alive and well in North Hastings. This project is just what we are looking for in support of business expansion into new markets through innovation.”
- Details
Bancroft Family Health Team (BFHT) Receives Eastern Ontario Development Program Support
Regarding the BFHT's Project:
“One of the most important aspects of this program is removing barriers to care for those patients that are the most vulnerable and unable to attend out of town appointments. Patients that are facing many challenges such as poverty, lack of transportation, and employment security were previously not able to get advanced specialist health care before this program was implemented.”
Sandra McGrath, Executive Director
Bancroft Family Health Team
The Bancroft Family Health Team will benefit from an investment announced April 27, 2017 by Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin and Mike Bossio, Member of Parliament for Hastings−Lennox and Addington.
The CFDC of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin is pleased to provide support to the Bancroft Family Health Team with an investment of $88,000 over two years under the Eastern Ontario Development Program’s Community Innovation stream. The funding will support technological innovation. Through this project, local healthcare services have been expanded, utilizing technology to provide remote access to specialists in urban centres. The project has resulted in three new jobs and the strengthening of two existing jobs, which will benefit Bancroft and area.
Commenting on the project, Dr. Carolyn Brown, a Bancroft, ON physician, said, “This technology opens up a world of possibility. Rather than having to spend the day going to the city for a specialist appointment, at least some of these visits can now take place at our new medical centre, right here in Bancroft.”
This project provides the Bancroft Family Health Team the option to offer some of these appointments in their facility through the use of cutting edge technology. By using telemedicine and video conferencing, patients now have better access to specialized medical care.
- Details
“We are thankful for the assistance from Community Futures to help purchase some new equipment: A CNC plasma cutter and a CNC press brake along with a dust collector and all related items. We are a welding and fabricating shop and up to the purchasing of the new equipment we had been outsourcing all cut and formed parts. We are now able to do all of this in-house which boosts our productivity.”
Eli Wideman, Owner, Wideman’s Farm Service
Wideman’s Farm Service will benefit from an investment announced January 17, 2017 by Community Futures Development Corporation of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin (CFDC), and Mike Bossio, Member of Parliament for Hastings−Lennox and Addington.
The CFDC of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin is pleased to provide support for the Integration of New Technology with an investment of $100,000 under the Eastern Ontario Development Program’s Business Development stream. The funding will support technological innovation, resulting in increased productivity and efficiencies and new jobs.
Bancroft, Ontario K0L 1C0
613.332.5564 • 800.465.4119
of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin