About Us
Growing communities one idea at a time
Businesses are struggling. Unemployment rates are high. Entrepreneurs are having difficulty getting loans because the major banks have restricted their lending. Smaller communities in particular are being hardest hit by the effects of an economy in trouble.
Sound familiar?
That was the economic reality when Community Futures was launched in 1985. And today the program is just as relevant as we deal with the latest in a series of economic downturns and specifically, a continuation of small businesses unable to access capital from traditional lenders.
Largely unknown outside their local regions, Community Futures groups have helped breathe new life into communities that have been hard hit by high unemployment and severe economic hardship.
In 2008, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) called Community Futures “one of the most innovative and successful rural oriented policies anywhere in the world.” The OECD went on to say that the program’s success “is due in no small part to the fact that it is locally run and suited to local conditions.”
Our office, Community Futures Strathcona, operates in the Vancouver Island region from Fanny Bay to Sayward and everything in between including Gold River and Tahsis. The major service centers are Campbell River and the Comox Valley.
Since inception, we have provided over 900 loans to businesses within our region that has either created or maintained over 3000 jobs. This is done with dedicated staff that actively supports the development and growth of entrepreneurship through the following:
- Lending money to new and existing businesses where there is real growth potential
- Encouraging people to become self-employed entrepreneurs; and
- Supporting community led economic development projects.
If you are an entrepreneur that is looking to get a business started, maintained, or expanded, please review our website or contact our office at your convenience to learn more about our programs.
Regards,
Marc Crane
General Manager
Community Futures Strathcona
