Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC)provides financing in the form of loans and grants. Here are the stories of our clients. www.pelacfdc.ca PELA CFDC Supports Biomass for Rural Vitality Study – ELORIN ­ The Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Innovation Network (ELORIN) is a non-profit organization which is actively supporting bio-business development. They envision a future in which Eastern Lake Ontario is the hub of bio-business activities. It is their goal to bring bio-business opportunities to life and impact regional prosperity. Their latest project was to explore the opportunities for producing pellets from agricultural biomass in Lennox and Addington County If all of this seems like science fiction you would not be alone. In a nutshell biomass but more specifically pelletization is the process in which plants in this instance are grown and pressed into pellets. These pellets which are low in moisture can be burned very efficiently and are usually used for heating or electricity generation. Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation provided $20,000 in support from last years Eastern Ontario Development Program. The research helped ELORIN provide stakeholders in the PELA region with comprehensive information on feedstock's, land use, environmental impacts, technologies, markets, as well as provided workshops. ELORIN has completed their research and have submitted a 92 page report which is available at www.pelacfdc.ca/downloadfilesc19.php. The report identifies potential end users such as Greenhouses and Residential Home Heating. Suitable hectares are also highlighted including the type of energy cop production available as well as future recommendations for the Lennox and Addington area. ELORIN estimates an increase demand for 15,000 tones of switchgrass pellets can come from simply heating 1% of Ontario’s Greenhouse space. Although there is a learning curve with bio-mass farmers have taken notice for a few reasons. Unlike corn which is grown on fertile land switchgrass can be grown on land which is currently viewed as low grade. This means farmers would not have to debate the profit point to grow corn or wheat over switchgrass since ideally they would be able to do both. Second switchgrass pellets produce relatively low emissions when burned therefore reducing the carbon footprint of Ontario. The report does suggest further study however it considers Lennox and Addington to be well positioned to be a leader in this industry. For the full report please click here Wed, 20 May 2009 12:01:45 -0500 Judging by the culinary delights presented at a swish affair here this week, the world is Prince Edward Collegiate students' oyster. Fourteen Grade 11 and 12 students participated in the inaugural County Roots Food Focus pilot program and used the first County Roots Black Tie event here Tuesday to demonstrate their new talents. The event also served as a practical exam for the four-credit program. The course is designed to explore all aspects of the Prince Edward County food industry. Students examined history, social and economic issues, politics, current trends and hands-on skills essential to the agriculture, marketing/tourism and hospitality industries of Prince Edward County. The students learned their way around a kitchen, too. Program teacher Beth Vader said the first four-month semester for the course was a success. "It is really relevant to Prince Edward County and the students got four credits for their co-op placements, navigating the workplace while on the farm, tourism marketing and hospitality," she said. "There is no text book for a course like this and the great thing was if there was something of interest to them we were able to explore it. They really covered all aspects of culinary tourism with the help of the most recent research done here." In an effort to learn the process of taking food from the field to the plate, students were required to spend three weeks working at a local farm and another three weeks in a restaurant. They also were required to plan the County Roots Black Tie event from start to finish which included advertising, planning and of course the complete preparation of the food. "They did an Ontario Federation of Agriculture event in November, so they've had some practice but the improvement I saw tonight was huge," she said. "They've really come a long way and done a tremendous job with it." Brad Brown, an 18-year-old Picton resident, said he was surprised at what he learned in the course. "I really didn't know much about farming, especially here in the County so that was a great thing to learn about," he said. "It really helped to learn the whole from the field to the plate concept because I didn't have any idea how much was involved before." While some of the students come from the municipality's urban areas, farming was not something new to all of them. Brandon Hoekstra, 17, lives on a beef farm in Sophiasburgh and did his placements at Byford Farms and Picton Harbour Inn. "Well, the farming wasn't new to me so I knew what to expect, but I found the restaurant work a lot harder than I expected it would be," he said. "I had to be more presentable and there is a lot of work involved in preparing food." Tuesday's menu included Caesar salad, stuffed mushroom caps, beef, lamb and goat dishes and wrapped up with a dessert of truffles and meringue. In addition to their placements, students spent time in the classroom. Work there included weekly guest lectures by MPP Leona Dombrowsky, chef Jamie Kennedy and Taste the County executive director Kathy Kennedy. Students also participated in a number of field trips including a two-day camping trip to start the program. Prince Edward/Lennox and Addington Community Futures Corporation provided some of the funding for the course and executive director Craig Desjardins said the community will only benefit from the course. "We are really pleased to be able to support something like this because what it really does is raise awareness," he said. "A lot of the students are not really aware of the opportunities here, whether it be in agriculture or in hospitality. We had a lot of businesses participate by taking the students on their placements and, in the long-term, it helps raise awareness of what they are doing." Wed, 20 May 2009 12:01:43 -0500 PELA CFDC helps Vi-Lux get the training to be a contendor For the past 18 years Vi-Lux Mouldings has specialized in cellular PVC products. They are located in Napanee, Ontario and make a wide array of products, ranging from indoor floor and ceiling molding to exterior door and shutter components. They started to notice a decline in sales and decided to investigate why. The reason? The product was being perceived as unpaintable, a feature which is highly sought after. “Our customers told us that the glossy surface of our product gives the appearance that paint will not be easily applied to it.” Says Sandra Holmes. “As well, our largest competitor primes his product. The result is many customers expect to see the product painted.” To eliminate this perception, Vi-Lux purchased a computerized paint spray line and infrared curing oven and a CDS embossing machine to create addition finishing options for their products. This new equipment required additional training, which was another expense. To help offset this expense, Vi-Lux applied for a grant through the Eastern Ontario Development Program, which is administered by Prince Edward/Lennox & Addintgon Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC). PELA CFDC is a non-profit corporation aimed at encouraging local entrepreneurship and economic development, using a grassroots approach. Along with grants and loans, PELA CFDC also provides advice and business planning, free of charge. “We help a lot of new businesses, but it is just as important to support existing businesses, especially if it means helping them maintain their competitive edge.” Said Craig Desjardins, Executive Director of PELA CFDC. “This new technology permits Vi-Lux to offer a much more appealing product than what we previously offered. Our exterior products now have a totally matte finish to it, rendering the product more appealing to the end user” said Sandra. “The grant program goes a long way in helping weather the current housing crisis and the effects it is having on Vi-Lux’s business.” To learn more about PELA CFDC and its grass roots approach to economic development or the EODP program and how you can apply for next year’s funding, please contact one of our friendly staff at either location in Picton or Napanee. You can also visit us at www.pelacfdc.ca. Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:48:46 -0500 Prince Edward County Arts Council Copyright Seminar made possible by PELA CFDC Twenty one people with varying artistic backgrounds from visual artists, to art administrators, even an art curator, attended this informative one day seminar in Picton. The seminar was presented by Ms. Ella Agnew, a lawyer specializing in law related to art collections. The funding for this seminar was from Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP) which is administered by the Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC). PELA CFDC is a not for profit organization which uses a grass roots approach to encourage local entrepreneurship and economic development. Along with grants and loans, PELA CFDC also provides advice, and business planning free of charge. Ms. Agnew discussed Intellectual Property generally, and Copyright specifically. She focused on the needs of the visual artists, with relevant reference to the other participants. The information that participants took away from this workshop will help them to understand the implications of copyright legislation for their work. They will be able to negotiate transfers of rights at the point of sale, ensuring compensation for future use of their work or precluding future exploitation of their work. In addition, they will learn the implications of copyright legislation for the work of others. They will understand the extent to which their work can be obviously “inspired” by the work of other artists. To learn more about PELA CFDC and its grass roots approach to economic development or the EODP program and how you can apply for next year’s funding, please contact one of our friendly staff at either location in Picton or Napanee. You can also visit us at www.pelacfdc.ca Thu, 2 Apr 2009 09:52:47 -0500 New teacher Marc Virgo, only a few short years removed from a full time position as an electrician in Northern Ontario was looking for a career change and he found it at Napanee District Secondary School in the heart of Lennox and Addington. In order to complete his career change Marc completed his Diploma of Education from Queens University. While on placement at LCVI, Marc met Program Leader Mike Sewell who was able to match up Marc and NDSS with Technology Director, Dave Brinkman. Marc’s skill set in electrical and automations were the perfect fit for a Napanee program that was about to take on a major face lift and change in focus. Unfortunately through attrition the program at the time was not only short a teacher it also lacked the necessary hand tools and test equipment needed to deliver the specialized electrical content. Mike contacted Craig Desjardins. Craig is the Executive Director of the Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC). PELA CFDC is a non-profit organization, which helps organizations like NDSS and small businesses introduce skill development programs as well as other initiatives. Along with grants and loans they also provide advice, counselling, and assistance in constructing a business plan, free of charge. A grant was awarded to NDSS and Communications Technology – Electrical – Residential program was created. The funds were used to purchase new equipment and materials to create an electrical lab. Marc along with the help of his students turned an old classroom into their learning playground. NDSS through continued effort and collaboration is the proud host of the only true electrical lab in all of Eastern Ontario. “The class was well received by the students” says Marc “we had 22 students register for the pilot program and we hope to be at capacity of 25 students next year.” Marc anticipates female students will also start showing interest. The current all male students were very supportive of the prospect of having girls in the program. Of the 22 students 8 plan to continue in the electrical field either through direct apprenticeship after graduation or to attend college. Marc is cur rently working on building further relationships with local businesses and looks forward to providing additional co-op opportunities in the future. “It is great to see our students have the opportunity to develop these skills here at NDSS” says Mike. “We are losing too many of our youth to the west or to the south who leave here seeking employment elsewhere, but now we can provide them with the viable skills necessary to become employable in a field they love. By doing so the likely hood of them staying within the county to live and work is greatly increased. Hopefully when they become certified and have their own businesses they will be able to hire on apprentices from this program which in turn will create a positive cycle that will benefit the entire community. If it wasn’t for the joint efforts of PELA and the CFDC this program would likely never have been achievable.” For more information on how PELA CFDC can help your current or new business or organization you can contact one of our friendly and resourceful staff at either of our two convenient locations. Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:09:52 -0500 The United Empire Loyalist (UEL) Heritage Centre in Napanee is dedicated to preserving and educating the public on our proud Loyalist History. The UEL has put on numerous events including last years Fife and Drum Muster at Fort George. In order to continue to educate the public about its Loyalist history the UEL wished to put on a play about Sarah Kast McGiness. She was hired to keep Mohawks loyal to the crown and some argue she influenced the future of Canada more then such other greats as Laura Secord. In order to create such a play the UEL needed to upgrade their sound and lighting system. Along with the sound and lighting UEL also required the necessary capital to write and produce the play. That is when Brandt Zatterberg approached PELA CFDC. PELA CFDC is a non-profit organization, which operates out of Napanee as well as Picton. Along with grants and loans they also provide advice, counselling, and assistance in constructing a business plan, free of charge. “PELA CFDC had helped support us last year with the Fife and Drum Muster and they were great to work with” says Brandt. “We submitted an application which is fairly simple compared to other organizations and hoped we would be approved.” UEL did receive funding and went straight to work with the creation of the play. The sound and lighting system was purchased and writers, historians, family historians and musicians came on board to help with the production. The play will not be ready till the summer of 09 when UEL in Napanee hosts the National Convention for the United Empire Loyalist Association. “We are extremely excited to host next years convention, I don’t think we would have won the bid if it was not for us having the necessary equipment to host such an event that some of the funds went to.” Since the new equipment it has also allowed the UEL to host a Summer Music Series held on Thursdays. To learn more about the Summer Music Series and other events please visit www.uel.ca For more information on how PELA CFDC can help your current or new business, or organization you can contact one of our friendly and resourceful staff at either of our two convenient locations or visit us online at www.pelacfdc.ca Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:08:27 -0500 tre or ROC is a non-profit organization located in Picton. They provide daily activities for kids from 5-12 years old ranging from woodworking and cooking classes to drama activities and ping pong tournaments to name a few. Last year the ROC wanted to reach a new market, teens aged 13- 19. “We wanted to provide a safe place for teens to come and hang out at” says Darlene Thompson who is the president of the ROC. In order to create a successful program a marketing plan and materials were needed. Unfortunately the ROC did not have the necessary funds to put together a strategic plan and purchase marketing materials. That is when Darlene noticed an advertisement in the paper requesting applications from organizations for grants from PELA CFDC. PELA CFDC is a non-profit organization, which operates out of Picton as well as Napanee. Along with grants and loans they also provide advice, counselling, and assistance in constructing a business plan, free of charge. “I picked up the phone and spoke with Justin Manlow, he was extremely helpful throughout the entire process to help put our application together in time for the committee review.” Justin works out of Picton and Napanee and is the administrator for the Eastern Ontario Development Program as well as assists in the delivery of the EODP grant funds. The ROC was awarded a grant and went straight to work constructing a strategic marketing plan and creating marketing materials such as a promotional DVD, flyers, a newsletter along with holding successful fundraisers. The ROC successfully launched a teen program which meets on Mondays and Thursdays and is open to anyone between the age of 13-19. “The success of the program is almost overwhelming” says Darlene. “In the first 6 months we had on average 30 participants every Monday and Thursday. Today we average 50 and have had up to 100 in one day.” The teen program does more then simply provide a place for teens to hang out. At every gathering teens are offered a wide array of activities including arts and crafts and basketball. Supper is also provided for all attending. Near the end of the evening the teenagers and volunteers participate in the ROC talk which is an open forum discussion where no topic is tabo or any judgement is passed. “We see kids of all backgrounds with various issues ranging from general information to sex and pregnancy, to being homeless, and drugs. Even general discussions about the difficulty of being a teenager take place.” Although the volunteers are not trained professionals with children’s mental health they do work very closely with various organizations. If a an individual needs more attention then the volunteers do everything in the powers to put the individual in contact with the appropriate organization. “I can’t tell you how much this grant has done for these teens and the ROC. I would never of dreamed in a million years the support we would receive from the community and surrounding area. We have organizations offering to donate proceeds from their fundraising efforts to help support this program and the ROC in general. We even have surrounding communities requesting we hold talks about this program and how they can implement similar programs in their community. I can’t thank PELA CFDC enough for their support.” For more information on how PELA CFDC can help your current or new business, or organization you can contact one of our friendly and resourceful staff at either of our two convenient locations Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:07:10 -0500 Robert Carter started RC Industrial Services back in 2003 with five fulltime workers. They provide a range of products for such companies as Goodyear, Halla Climate Control, and Sigma Stretch Films to name a few. RC Industrial Services continues to grow and now operates with 25 fulltime employees who work out of the 22,000 square foot facility in Napanee. Hiring new employees to help fill the need of a company is hard on any business and trying to find young skilled workers can be challenging. This could not be truer for RC Industrial. “To say finding young skilled workers with mechanical experience is difficult would be an understatement” says Rob. “Less and less people are entering the field which is creating a real shortage of workers.” Businesses like RC Industrial usually offer internships to young people to give them the skill and knowledge to eventually become full time in the industry. Unfortunately fewer companies are offering these internships because of the economy which has caused a decrease in workload but also because they can be expensive to train. “To hire someone for an internship is not cheap. You are not only paying them a salary but they are taking away time from full time employees for training and you can’t panelize your clients with slower response times. If the individual has little or no experience in this field it is even harder and we are facing that more often with young people.” To help offset the costs of an intern Rob attended a local information meeting held by PELA CFDC which highlighted the various ways they help local businesses and organizations. A grant was awarded to RC Industrial and an intern by the name of Matt McConnell was hired. Matt had just completed high school and was looking for a career when a family friend who worked at RC Industrial mentioned they were looking for an intern. “I grew up on a farm so I enjoyed working with my hands and I always knew I wanted to stay in the area” said Matt. Like most people Matt had very little experience in the mechanical trades and if not for the opportunity to be brought in as an intern the possibility for Matt to be passed up for someone with more experience would have been likely. “This was a great opportunity and I have learned a tremendous amount and I am still learning.” Matt has now completed his 8 month internship and was offered a full time position with RC Industrial Services. PELA CFDC is a non-profit organization, which operates out of Napanee as well as Picton. Along with grants and loans they also provide advice, counselling, and assistance in constructing a business plan, free of charge. For more information on how PELA CFDC can help your current or new business, or organization you can contact one of our friendly and resourceful staff at either of our two convenient locations. Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:04:59 -0500 Trying to find a needle in a hay stack is as hard as, well trying to find a needle in a hay stack. And if the hay stack is as big as Prince Edward County it poses quite the challenge. We all know how great PEC is and how extraordinary our people and the products we produce are. The problem is if you do not live in PEC or if you simply don’t know everything that the county has to offer it can be difficult to know what is out there. Dan Taylor who is the Economic Development Officer for The Corporation of Prince Edward County has met this challenge with a unique solution. “In the past to experience PEC you had to physically visit and tour the county to see first hand what we offered. We are still encouraging tourism but now we are providing a tool for visitors and potential investors to experience the county from the comfort of their home” says Dan. The solution is an interactive website which brings everything PEC to a single location on the World Wide Web. Build a new life (www.buildanewlife.ca) allows both investors and potential tourist to get a taste of PEC before visiting or investing. The site has everything from business opportunities for people looking to buy an existing business, or potential development opportunities such as commercial land for sale. It also has a section to make it easier for potential investors to get in contact with possible grants or loans officers. But who better to promote PEC then local residents and business owners. “Word of mouth advertising is the most powerful form of marketing available to any business” says Dan. “To harness this power and with the help of PELA CFDC who provided the necessary funding, we have purchased video and audio equipment along with an iMac.” PELA CFDC is a non-profit organization, which operates out of Napanee as well as Picton. Along with grants and loans they also provide advice, counselling, and assistance in constructing a business plan, free of charge. Local residents and business owners can check out the video and audio equipment from the library and create their own testimonial story about living and working in PEC. They can then edit their movie on the iMac located in the library and send it to the Corporation of Prince Edward County to be upload it to the web. The idea of mass collaboration is nothing new. It’s a phenomenon which can be seen with such sites as YouTube and Facebook to name a few. Curious entrepreneurs and everyday people can watch videos on such sites and share them with friends and colleagues around the world. The website was launched on June 20th and was held at the Clearwater Design Company in PEC and was actually a site of a canning manufacturer before being turned into a kayak manufacturing facility. The location was chosen because it showcases how businesses can relocate to PEC and can be successful while allowing people to live the dream as they say. Roughly 30 people showed up for the event including Craig Desjardins of PELA CFDC. “PELA CFDC is committed to providing access to capital to new and existing businesses in PEC. Tools like the Build a New Life website are an important mechanism in building awareness and connecting people. We are happy to provide support for this project through the Government of Canada’s Eatern Ontario Development Program.” Eventually the website will act as a global market place like eBay in which local business can place their products to be sold over the internet without having to invest in e-commerce websites. Until such time it will primarily be a tool to allow residents to self promote their businesses and PEC as well as attract external investors from around the world. To learn more about PELA CFDC and how we can help your or to speak to one of For more information on how PELA CFDC can help your current or new business, or organization you can contact one of our friendly and resourceful staff at either of our two convenient locations or visit us online at www.pelacfdc.ca Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:59:51 -0500 It is anticipated that over the next 15 years Ontario will experience a shortage of over 100,000 trade’s workers in the manufacturing sector. For the Lennox and Addington county this will have a devastating affect on the local economy if the issue is not addressed immediately.  To help promote the manufacturing sector Goodyear, St. Lawrence College, along with Loyalist College has partnered up to create a mechanical training program held at Loyalist College. Six students in the electrical program will be chosen to participate in the program and offered an employment at Goodyear.  To help offset the costs, Goodyear applied for the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP), which is administered through the Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC).  The EODP provides grants to various organizations and companies to assist in economic development in a number of categories. Goodyear qualified to receive $12,500 under the Skills Development category. These funds will be used to purchase the necessary equipment such as toolboxes, welding uniforms, welding gloves and goggles, and other safety equipment.  “Keeping companies like Goodyear in our community is important” says Justin Manlow, EODP administrator. “Currently they employ 680 fulltime employees. To lose them because of a lack of a skilled labour pool would be a critical blow. We already see this happening in southern Ontario with Deere & CO moving to Mexico resulting in over 800 jobs lost. This is why programs like this are supported, not only will it benefit Goodyear but L&A as a whole.” To learn more about PELA CFDC and its grass roots approach to economic development or the EODP program and how you can apply for next year’s funding, please contact one of our friendly staff at either location in Picton or Napanee. You can also visit us at www.pelacfdc.ca. Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:45:47 -0500 Prince Edward / Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC) is proud to announce its support of the Bath Community Revitalization Committee.  “The downtown area is in desperate need of a physical revitalization” says Andy Fitzgerald. “The first phase of the project will be to improve the physical appearance of the RBC corner, the waterfront access area, and the main intersection” says Andy.   (Current view of Bath)(Planned Revitalization)Th ese changes, along with other changes, which will follow in subsequent phases, will have a positive impact on the community as a whole. These enhancements will increase the economic development and impact by encouraging tourists to stop and visit the unique shops and restaurants in the community.  The support from PELA CFDC comes in the form of $8000 from the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP). Throughout the year, PELA CFDC accepts applications for the EODP which is announced once a year, usually in August. Categories for the EOPD include Business Plan, Youth Intern, Local Initiatives, and Community Capacity. The grants are open to any business or organization which operates within the PELA region. “It is great to be able to support projects like this” says Justin Manlow, who is the EODP administrator. “Any time we can support a project that will benefit the entire community as well visitors is a win win situation” says Justin. To learn more about PELA CFDC and its grass roots approach to economic development or the EODP program and how you can apply for next year’s funding, please contact one of our friendly staff at either location in Picton or Napanee. You can also visit us at www.pelacfdc.ca.  Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:44:54 -0500 The town of Northbrook will be the proud home of a local FM radio station. The Addington-Frontenac Area Radio has been awarded a grant to develop a 250 Watt community radio station. Addington-Frontenac Area Radio (AFAR) will be “Your Voice in the Community” providing news and new music to the Northbrook area. The grant was provided by the Eastern Ontario Development Program which is administered by Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC). PELA CFDC is a non-profit corporation aimed at encouraging local entrepreneurship and economic development using a grassroots approach. Along with grants and loans, PELA CFDC also provides advice, and business planning free of charge.  It was first hoped that the radio would be up and running by this summer, however, some unforeseen delays have bumped the project back. Robert Taylor, who is the Chairman of AFAR said “Northbrook was chosen as the studio site because it is the centre and the economic hub of Addington Highlands.” When asked about the type of music that will be played, he stated that they will be playing all types of genres from Jazz, Bluegrass, to Rock and Gospel. “It will not necessarily be in equal proportion; we will also be playing local artists who would not otherwise have access to a commercial station.” To learn more about PELA CFDC and its grass roots approach to economic development or the EODP program and how you can apply for next year’s funding, please contact one of our friendly staff at either location in Picton or Napanee. You can also visit us at www.pelacfdc.ca. Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:44:38 -0500