Community Futures Peterborough Launches New Strategic Plan and Announces Two New Board Directors

October 7, 2025 – Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) has unveiled its new strategic plan for 2025–2028, setting a clear vision to be recognized as the trusted partner that helps local businesses achieve their goals.

“Our vision is clear: every entrepreneur should feel they can access free, expert advice in their own community and every business should feel they can grow and expand here,” says Wayne Harding, Board Chair of Community Futures Peterborough. “Our updated strategic plan ensures we are not only meeting today’s needs but preparing for the future of business in Peterborough and defining our role in how to support them.”

Since 1985, CFP has provided entrepreneurs and small businesses with financing, free advisory services, and partnerships to strengthen the local economy. The new plan outlines four key priorities designed to ensure businesses in the region have the tools, capital, and support they need to succeed:

• Increase Awareness of the Business Advisory Centre through targeted outreach and marketing so more entrepreneurs can access expert advice, training, and mentorship.
• Expand Access to Flexible and Inclusive Financing Solutions by enhancing loan programs and exploring new funding models to serve diverse business needs.
• Enhance and Diversify Services by developing new programs in collaboration with partners to respond to emerging trends and community priorities.
• Invest in Organizational Infrastructure by strengthening internal systems, staff capacity, and governance to ensure long-term sustainability.

Guided by its mission to strengthen the community by helping local businesses grow and thrive, CFP’s work is rooted in its values: community first, inclusivity, collaboration, integrity, human-centered support, and sustainability.

“Our values are the foundation of our work,” says Devon Girard, Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough. “By continuing to lead with collaboration, inclusivity, and keeping a community-focused approach, we are ensuring every entrepreneur and small business has access to the expert services they need to succeed.”

In 2024, the Province selected Community Futures Peterborough to deliver the region’s Small Business Enterprise Centre program (SBEC) – creating one door for businesses and entrepreneurs to access both expert business advisory and planning services, as well as flexible lending options. Delivery of this provincial program provided CFP with the opportunity to reflect on its strategic direction and set a bold vision for its future.

“The Province’s decision to partner with Community Futures Peterborough to deliver the Small Business Enterprise Centre program has been a game-changer. This collaboration has created a single point of access for entrepreneurs, making it easier for them to get the expert advice and support they need to succeed. This new strategic plan builds on that momentum, and I’m confident it will further strengthen Peterborough’s position as a hub for business growth and innovation,” says Dave Smith, Member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha.

“As a proud partner, Peterborough County welcomes the launch of the CFP 2025–2028 Strategic Plan. This forward-looking vision reflects a deep understanding of the evolving needs of our local business community. By enhancing access to expert advisory services and inclusive financing, CFP is ensuring that entrepreneurs across the County have the support they need to grow, innovate, and succeed,” says Bonnie Clark, Warden, Peterborough County. “We commend their commitment to fostering a resilient and prosperous regional economy.”

City of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal adds, “Community Futures plays a significant role in encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship in the City of Peterborough. This renewed strategic plan will help them continue to provide a foundation for many businesses in our community to be successful.”

Today’s announcement also serves as an opportunity to announce to the community the appointment of two new Board Directors on CFP’s Board of Directors, Sherry Hill and Evan Lyons, who joined CFP’s Board of Directors last month. Sherry Hill is the current CFO of Peterboro Matboards and Board Secretary of the Kawartha Manufacturers Association, and Evan Lyons is the Vice President of Digital, Strategy, and Planning & Chief Information Officer at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

“This new strategic plan sets the stage for new voices at our Board table,” adds Harding. “We’re thrilled to welcome Sherry and Evan, exceptional leaders in our community, who share our vision for driving business growth in the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County.”

For more information about the strategic plan, the new Board Directors, and CFP’s programs, visit www.cfpeterborough.ca

About Community Futures Peterborough

Community Futures Peterborough has a mission to support small businesses with flexible financing in the City and County of Peterborough. It has invested more than $42 million in loan dollars supporting 1,300+ small businesses since 1985, creating or maintaining more than 4,600 jobs in the City and the County. CFP is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), as part of the Community Futures Program. In 2024, Community Futures Peterborough began delivery of the Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) program, funded by the Province of Ontario. The Business Advisory Centre also receives operational funding from the City of Peterborough and the County of Peterborough. The Business Advisory Centre provides a full suite of wrap-around business advisory services from launch to exit and currently advises hundreds of local businesses annually.