Deborah Powell
CLARENDON – The Pontiac Community Development Corporation (SADC) held its Annual General Meeting at the Little Red Wagon Winery, June 21.
Deborah Powell
CLARENDON – The Pontiac Community Development Corporation (SADC) held its Annual General Meeting at the Little Red Wagon Winery, June 21.
“The agricultural sector was our focus during the 2017-2018 year. We are aware of the realities and challenges our farmers face every day. Following an industry survey and open forum, SADC Pontiac adapted some financing tools to
better meet the needs of our local producers. Job creation,
diversification of activities and market farming continue to grow in the region,” said SADC Director General Rhonda Perry.
In the 2017-2018 year, the SADC issued loans to the business sector totaling $586,833, including three start-ups; $237,500 went to the youth sector: three for expansion, one for modernization, one for acquisition and five for start-ups. In total, 36 jobs were created and 49 maintained.
Brittany Morin, SADC communications, marketing and business development agent, reported that the Farm to Fork Dinner held in the Upper Pontiac last year proved a great success and will be repeated in the east of the Pontiac this year. Morin also introduced a four-minute promotional video highlighting Charles Allard from Ferme Lupuline Hop yard and Mike Chaput from the micro-brewery at L’Ancienne Banque, both located in L’Isle-aux-Allumettes.
Afterward, Pontiac MP Will Amos announced additional funding from the federal government totaling $58,200 to help businesses run by women and those run
by Indigenous entrepreneurs. The funds will be divided between
the Pontiac SADC and the SADC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau.
The formal part of the gathering closed with a presentation on
‘The Business Advantages of Agri-Tourism Development’ with special guest speaker Nadia Dufour from the Association de l’Agrotourisme et du Tourisme Gourmand. Dufour emphasized that agri-tourism is set to become the number one growth industry and that “excursionists” (people from the local region) are the target clients as they will be regular visitors and bring others with them. She
also underlined the importance of networking between businesses where an establishment features another producer and vice-versa.
