Community Futures Peterborough Marks 40 Years of Fueling Local Business Success
June 26, 2025 – Peterborough, ON – Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) celebrated a major milestone today, 40 years of service and impact, during its Annual General Meeting held at its client, the scenic Farmhill Weddings in Keene. Surrounded by business leaders, elected officials, board members, entrepreneurs, and community partners, the organization celebrated four decades of empowering local businesses in the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County.
“Forty years of Community Futures Peterborough means 40 years of believing in entrepreneurs, fueling businesses, and strengthening our regional economy,” says Devon Girard, executive director of Community Futures Peterborough. “We’ve played a key role in helping thousands of local businesses start, grow, and thrive, and today, we are so proud to honour that legacy.”
During the event, Community Futures Peterborough announced it had received a record $4.6 million in loan applications in fiscal year 2024- 2025 and disbursed more than $1.38M to 26 local companies. Those new loans created or maintained more than 330 local jobs during their 2024-2025 fiscal year. Community Futures Peterborough is funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
“For four decades, Community Futures Peterborough has been a driving force behind rural business growth—supporting bold entrepreneurs, creating local jobs and strengthening the region’s economy. Through FedDev Ontario, the Government of Canada is proud to invest in this legacy of rural leadership and innovation. These results speak for themselves: when we back rural communities with the right tools, they build the future,” said the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
Today’s AGM paid tribute to several previous Board Chairs, including founding Board Directors George Gillespie and Doug Armstrong. It also featured a heartfelt tribute to the organization’s late executive director, Judy Heffernan, who was remembered for her contributions with a special video during the proceedings.
The event also provided a snapshot of the results from Community Futures Peterborough’s Business Advisory Centre, which, during its first six months of delivering the Small Business Enterprise Centre Program, provided more than 200 in-depth consultations to small businesses in our community.
“It’s great to see Community Futures Peterborough mark 40 years of dedicated service to our local economy,” says Dave Smith, MPP for Peterborough—Kawartha. “Their ongoing commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and fostering small business growth has been instrumental in creating and maintaining thousands of jobs right here in our community. This milestone is a testament to the hard work and vision of everyone involved, past and present, at CFP.”
The AGM also featured an exciting pop-up market with local 2024 and 2025 Starter Company Plus clients, including the National Touring Museum, Groovy Little Smoothie, and The Doggery, and a lunch reception catered by Starter Company Plus Graduates, Electric City Catering, Pies by Zach, and On Point Custom Catering.
“Celebrating 40 years is more than a milestone, it’s a testament to the dedication, resilience, and impact of Community Futures Peterborough,” says Wayne Harding, Board Chair. “We’ve helped countless entrepreneurs turn dreams into reality, and as we look ahead, we’re more committed than ever to driving local economic growth and empowering the next generation of business leaders.”
Key Facts About Community Futures Peterborough:
- Since its inception in 1985, Community Futures Peterborough has proudly invested over $42 million in loan dollars supporting 1,300+ small businesses and directly creating or maintaining more than 4,600 jobs in the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County.
- The historical loan portfolio reflects the diverse makeup of the region’s local economy, with Manufacturing (20%), Other Services (16%), Retail (15%), and Accommodation & Food Services (14%) comprising the top sectors, representing 65% of Community Futures Peterborough’s total loan investments.
- The organization has supported a growing number of women-owned businesses (43%) and other diverse entrepreneurs (11%), including Indigenous, youth, LGBTQ2S+, and social enterprise leaders.
- With 40% of loans supporting startups, 32% fueling expansion, and 28% helping maintain businesses, Community Futures Peterborough has remained a reliable and stable partner at every stage of the business journey. And with 18% of loans coming from repeat customers, the long-term relationships continue to drive meaningful economic impact across the City of Peterborough (65%) and Peterborough County (35%).
- In 2024, Community Futures Peterborough began delivering the Small Business Enterprise Centre program and continues to serve as a hub for small business success, offering personalized support through financing, expert advisory services, and strategic partnerships. It offers a fully comprehensive suite of free wraparound advisory services that support businesses from launch to exit.
- During the first six months of operations for the Business Advisory Centre (September 2024 – March 2025), more than 200 in-depth consultations were held with local business owners with advisory services to help start or grow their business.
- April and May 2025 saw the Business Advisory Centre provide over 100 in-depth advisory consultations already, signally a strong and growing entrepreneurial community in our region.
Additional Quotes:
“Congratulations to Community Futures Peterborough on four decades of success! The financing and support CFP offers to small businesses and entrepreneurs is essential to the growth of our local economy. The Government of Canada is proud to have funded CFP for the past 40 years. Happy 40th!” – Emma Harrison, MP, Peterborough
“Community Futures Peterborough has been a foundational asset to our local economy for four decades. Through their efforts, thousands of businesses have been able to expand and thrive, providing vital employment and services, and contributing to our community. Congratulations to Community Futures Peterborough on their 40th anniversary, and thanks for the work they do each and every day to support our local economy.” – City of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal
“On behalf of Peterborough County, I congratulate Community Futures Peterborough on this incredible milestone 40th anniversary. Your organization, board, and staff have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering local economic growth and supporting countless businesses across all of our communities over the years. In recent years, we are especially proud of the work you have done taking on the region’s Business Advisory Centre and joining Peterborough County by providing services out of our Information Hub office in Lakefield. We look forward to continuing our productive partnership for years to come.” – Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark
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.
About Fed Dev Ontario:
For over 15 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impact the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our investment profiles, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
Media Contact:
Devon Girard, Executive Director
devon@cfpeterborough.ca
Cell: 705-957-3641
Sara Kasum
Communications and Issues Advisor
Office of the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Sara.Kasum@feddevontario.gc.ca