Your Small Town Bodyshop with Big-Time Service
Stirling, ON

The road to business ownership was a whirlwind for Laurie, the new owner of McCurdy’s Collision Centre. After spending 34 years in the automotive industry, she was approached with a life-changing opportunity: to purchase the very Collision Centre where she’d been working on contract. Though unexpected, the chance to own the business felt like something she was truly meant to do.

Unsure of where to begin, Laurie reached out to the Bay of Quinte Business Centre for guidance. After completing the necessary paperwork and submitting her application, the approvals came through—and her journey to becoming a business owner officially began.

With funding from BDC to purchase the business and property, the next challenge was securing operating capital to cover initial payroll and supplier costs. That’s when she turned to Community Futures Trenval. Laurie presented her plan to the board—an experience she described as feeling like a job interview, but a great one—and received the support she needed to move forward.

With funds in place, she was able to cover the purchase and invest in critical equipment upgrades. Just four months in, McCurdy’s Collision Centre is thriving. The team has grown, new accounts have come in, and the business is expanding thanks to word of mouth and strong community ties.

“This is one of the biggest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” Laurie shared. “Trenval looked at my experience and listened to my story. It wasn’t just a cookie-cutter process—they really cared.”

Now part of the supportive CCS Collision franchise, McCurdy’s Collision Centre is proud to serve the Stirling community with its motto: “Your small town bodyshop with big time service.”

Whether it’s collision repair, rust work, or automotive accessories, the team at McCurdy’s is ready to help.

Learn more about McCurdy’s Collision Centre

For nearly 30 years, the Pilon family has been offering unwavering support to Ottawa Valley families, helping them navigate life’s most challenging moments with care, compassion, and a true dedication to their community. Founded by Andre Pilon and now operated alongside his son Phil and wife Gina, Pilon Family Funeral Home has built a reputation for compassionate care and meaningful choices that honour every family’s needs.

Commitment to Personalized Service

The Pilon family understands that every farewell is unique. Their dedication to offering families personalized options has set them apart, from traditional services to innovative solutions. When the COVID-19 pandemic restricted gatherings, they adapted quickly—offering live-streamed services that allowed over 1,000 people to attend virtually. “We were able to help families stay connected when it mattered most,” says Andre Pilon.

Investing in the Future

A commitment to reinvesting in their business has ensured that Pilon Family Funeral Home remains a leader in the region. Their partnership with Renfrew County Community Futures has played a crucial role in this journey.

• In 2012, funding helped improve accessibility with a new wheelchair platform.
• In 2018, they retrofitted their facility to house an Alkaline Hydrolysis Unit, becoming one of only four funeral homes in Ontario to offer aquamation, an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation.
• Most recently, they transformed their entrance with a beautiful new canopy, enhancing both curb appeal and the client experience.

Aquamation: An Eco-Friendly Alternative

Despite the challenges of securing permits and retrofitting their space, the Pilons persevered to bring aquamation to the Ottawa Valley. Since launching in April 2020, nearly 600 families have chosen this gentle, water-based process. “Aquamation put us on the map,” says Andre. “Families from beyond Arnprior now seek us out for this option, knowing they can handle everything in one place with us.”

The Impact of Community Futures

Through every stage of growth, Renfrew County Community Futures has been a trusted partner. “Mike has always been there for us,” says Andre. “Their support has been wonderful.” This collaboration has allowed the Pilon family to continue modernizing their services while maintaining the personal touch that has made them a trusted name in the community.

With their deep-rooted dedication and ongoing investment in their services, Pilon Family Funeral Home is more than a business—it’s a family’s promise to be there when it matters most. Learn more about their compassionate approach at pilonfamily.ca.

Imagine yourself whisked away to a simpler era, where horse-drawn carriages clatter down cobblestone streets and trains whistle through the countryside. Push open the welcoming doors of The Tamworth Hotel, and that's exactly where you'll find yourself – in spirit, at least.

Built around 1840, The Tamworth Hotel has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. Once a dimly lit tavern, it now radiates warmth and charm, casting a friendly glow over Lexington and Addington County. While preserving its historic soul, the hotel embraces the present needs of the community, offering a haven for travelers, a vibrant hub for locals to connect, as well as jobs for the local economy.

This heartwarming story began when Kevin Hilliker, a former Canada Post employee with an artistic heart, and Carol Brown, his partner and fellow artist decided to buy the building. Drawn to the potential slumbering within the hotel's weathered walls, they embarked on a journey to restore its former glory. Their vision? To blend the elegance of a bygone era with the comforts of modern life.

Their dedication is evident in every detail. With tireless effort, they tackled the daunting task of rewiring, plumbing, and insulating the building. The result was the charming Black Cat Café, a cozy spot where locals and visitors alike gather to enjoy Carol's delicious homemade meals. From the legendary pizza nights that fed the community during the pandemic to the best cup of coffee in town, the Black Cat Café is more than just a restaurant – it's a wellspring of warmth and connection.

Challenges inevitably arose, but Kevin and Carol weren't alone. Community Futures stepped in, offering invaluable guidance and directing them towards applying for a grant. This crucial support proved to be a lifeline; not only did they qualify and get the funding, it enabled them to continue working on their dream and stay committed to their sizable investment in renovations.

Today, the hotel exudes a timeless elegance. Original layout, vintage furnishings, and local antiques create an authentic ambiance, while modern amenities like electric baseboards, air conditioning, and electronic door locks ensure a comfortable stay in one of their four beautifully appointed rooms, now available seven nights a week. Hear that? It’s the beautifully restored player piano that adds the perfect touch of nostalgia, making the hotel feel like a living museum.

But the Tamworth Hotel is more than just a step back in time. It's a vibrant hub for the community. Carol's culinary artistry draws loyal crowds, while the hotel's 17 part-time employees contribute to the local economy. Step inside, and you'll find a place where locals gather to swap stories, everyone is welcome, and a sense of community thrives. With unwavering dedication and the support of Community Futures, Kevin and Carol continue to breathe new life and economic impact into a historic landmark.

If you have a project or business that could benefit from a no-charge strategic consultation, please reach out to team@communityfutures.co today.

Jacquelyn Craft's new vintage clothing collective was made possible by the support of Community Futures Peterborough and other local economic development organizations.

Whether you’re on the hunt for velour lounge wear from the ’70s, blue suede boots from the ’80s, or cowboy-cut jeans from the ’90s, you’ll find them all at The Neighbourhood Vintage in downtown Peterborough, a vintage clothing collective that offers sustainable and trendy threads for shoppers looking for a nostalgic experience.

The Neighbourhood Vintage is also an example of how ‘Team Ptbo’ — a group of local economic development organizations that includes Community Futures Peterborough, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area, and the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce — is helping local entrepreneurs successfully realize their dreams.

Located at 391 Water Street, The Neighbourhood Vintage is the brainchild of Jacquelyn Craft, an enthusiastic thrifter who credits her lifelong love of upcycled, reclaimed items as the inspiration behind her new venture.

Jacquelyn Craft opened the brick-and-mortar location of The Neighbourhood Vintage in downtown Peterborough last October, with the support of ‘Team Ptbo’. The colourful, retro store features vintage clothing and accessories from 2003 and earlier by eight local curators. (Photo: Bryan Reid)

“When I was younger, my mom would take me to garage sales and second-hand stores,” Craft recalls. “So thrift shopping is something that I’ve always been interested in from a treasure-hunting perspective, where you never know what you’re going to find.”

It was early in the pandemic when Craft decided to try selling vintage mugs from her personal collection on Instagram under the account Minty Vintage as “something fun to do,” she explains.

“It took off a lot faster than I expected,” she says of the mug sales. Craft then added other items to her assortment, including clothing, accessories and homewares, and watched in awe as sales continued to grow.

Craft also connected with other local vintage vendors selling similar items during that time. They organized pop-ups at events where they would set up racks, get in front of customers, interact with them face-to-face, and enjoy a more traditional retail experience.

“During those pop-ups, we would talk about how wonderful it would be if there were a permanent physical space we could use and not have to set up and take down our displays throughout the year,” Craft says. “That is what instigated the idea of opening a storefront.”

Last October, Craft opened her physical, brick-and-mortar location in downtown Peterborough. The colourful, retro store features vintage clothing and accessories from 2003 and earlier by eight local curators (including Craft’s own Minty Vintage). The trendy clothes are original, size inclusive, and gender-free.

The trendy clothes at Jacquelyn Craft’s The Neighbourhood Vintage are original, size inclusive, and gender-free. Everything in the store is intermixed and set up in categories, which makes shopping more enjoyable. There’s a wide range of styles and sizes to accommodate everyone. (Photo: The Neighbourhood Vintage)

“Everything in the store is intermixed and set up in categories, which makes shopping more enjoyable and there’s a wide range of styles and sizes to accommodate everyone,” Craft says.

Community Futures Peterborough played a crucial role in helping Craft establish her business. By providing a loan and advisory support, the organization enabled her to overcome initial financial hurdles and get her business off the ground.

Community Futures Peterborough is one of 267 non-profit Community Futures organizations across Canada. Funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), it supports the growth and success of small and medium-sized businesses in the city and county of Peterborough through loans and financing, training, advice, and other resources.

“I knew that without that capital upfront, I wasn’t going to be able to open the kind of shop that I wanted to,” Craft notes.

She used the financing from Community Futures Peterborough towards initial start-up costs such as branding, marketing, building shop fixtures, inventory management software, and a point-of-sale system.

Craft recalls how the team at Community Futures Peterborough was very communicative from the start.

“We set up a meeting where I was able to talk about my business idea and the structure of the business. And not just my specific financial needs but my vision for pulling it together — details about the initial cash flow and how the business would run. They asked me tough questions to figure out what my needs were. Most importantly, I got the sense that they truly wanted to work with me to help my business succeed.”

The Neighbourhood Vintage owner Jacquelyn Craft (second from right) was one of eight Peterborough-area entrepreneurs who received a collective $40,000 in the fall 2022 intake of the provincially funded Starter Company Plus program offered by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre. Also pictured are Vanessa Bruce, Ineke Turner, Lisa Mace, Jena Trimble, Kate Griffin, Lisa Burkitt, and Nathan Truax. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)

According to Braden Clark, Business Development Manager of Community Futures Peterborough, a key reason why Craft received financing for The Neighbourhood Vintage was because she had completed the Starter Company Plus program offered through Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Adivsory Centre.

Last fall, she was one of eight Peterborough-area entrepreneurs selected for a $5,000 microgrant and five weeks of business training to help launch their businesses. Part of that training included advisors who helped Craft carefully scrutinize her business plan to ensure all of the pieces of her business fit together.

“Because Jacquelyn went through the Starter Company Plus program before she approached Community Futures Peterborough, we felt extra confident that she had the skills to execute her business plan, which made us feel much more comfortable supporting her financially,” Clark says.

Clark adds that Starter Company Plus program, along with the Business Advisory Centre’s regular ‘Business Fundamentals’ workshop series, give entrepreneurs a baseline understanding of what’s required to start a business.

“Any of our local economic development partners will walk you through the entrepreneurship startup process and make sure that you get to the right place to develop a business plan or to make an application for funding,” Clark notes, emphasizing the ‘Team Ptbo’ approach to supporting local business.

He adds that Community Futures Peterborough is happy to support entrepreneurs to see them flourish and to add more employment opportunities within the area.

Before approaching Community Futures Peterborough for financing for the brick-and-mortar location of The Neighbourhood Vintage, owner Jacquelyn Craft went through the Starter Company Plus offered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre, whose advisors helped Craft carefully scrutinize her business plan. Community Futures Peterborough was confident Craft had the skills to execute her business plan, which made the organization more comfortable supporting her financially. (Photo: The Neighbourhood Vintage)

For Terry Guiel, executive director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), a main strength of the ‘Team Ptbo’ approach is that “it demonstrates Peterborough is a supportive community when it comes to incubating, accelerating, and creating entrepreneurs.”

“Downtown is the most concentrated area of startup businesses mainly due to the cost, store size, and proximity to other walkable businesses,” he points out. “One of the things I enjoy is doing tours of downtown with prospective entrepreneurs and showing them the vacant opportunities. I like to inspire them on why particular areas are well suited for them and show off what downtown has to offer and what is coming with possible upgrades.”

Craft’s The Neighbourhood Vintage is located in the heart of downtown Peterborough, along a section of Water Street that is also home to a range of other popular locally owned businesses including Needles In The Hay, Plant Goals, Watson & Lou, The Food Shop, Tragically Dipped Donut, and more.

According to Guiel, the ‘Team Ptbo’ approach means entrepreneurs like Craft have access to a broad spectrum of expertise and opportunities to be successful.

“When we show collaboration between organizations like Community Futures Peterborough, which helps fund entrepreneurs, and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, which helps create business plans and support businesses, and match them with organizations like the Chamber and the DBIA, it sends a powerful message that we care about small businesses,” he explains. “Team Ptbo wants to be hands-on with supporting entrepreneurs and ensuring they succeed.”

“We have different work experiences supporting entrepreneurs, whether financially, through business planning, or supporting innovation and technology,” Clark adds.

Community Futures Peterborough’s new leader, executive director Devon Girard, has made it a priority to strengthen the ‘Team Ptbo’ approach with the area’s other economic development organizations to enhance the ecosystem for Peterborough-area entrepreneurs.

Located at 391 Water Street in downtown Peterborough, The Neighbourhood Vintage is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Photo: Bryan Reid)

An example of how beneficial that entrepreneurial ecosystem can be is the success of The Neighbourhood Vintage. In less than six months, Craft’s business is thriving. She says it’s due in part to the wealth of resources available to help budding business owners succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavours.

“There isn’t necessarily a step-by-step guide on how to open a vintage store,” Craft points out. “There are so many pieces to getting it ready, like coordinating the vendors and sourcing the necessary hardware and technology, to figuring out how to use the inventory management system and building a website. There are a lot of free resources available to help you start up, so there should be no excuse not to access those.”

Visiting The Neighbourhood Vintage is truly an adventure for shoppers. You can pair jeans from the ’90s with an ’80s cardigan or ’70s leather bag. Sorting through different eras of clothing and finding pieces that can fit in with your modern wardrobe takes some time and effort but is worth it, Craft adds.

“Visitors love the ambience, the aesthetic, and the bright colours,” Craft says. “We get tons of feedback on how fun the shop is, which was what I had hoped for and what I wanted.”

Located at 391 Water Street in downtown Peterborough, The Neighbourhood Vintage is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information and to shop online, visit theneighbourhoodvintage.com.

For more information about Community Futures Peterborough and how its supports local business, visit communityfuturespeterborough.ca.

Community Futures Eastern Ontario welcomes new Board Members, Devon Jones, Dan Ruby and Judith Pineault

We are happy to share the highlights and key moments from Community Futures Eastern Ontario's (CFEO) Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on Thursday, 18th July 2024, at the Valley Heartland Community Futures Development Corporation Innovation Centre.

Back Forty Artisan Cheese, is a small creamery, cheese shop and riverside bistro located in Mississippi Station and was revitalized by Jeff and Jenna Fenwick when they relocated in 2012.

Together, they transformed a modest creamery into an acclaimed cheese-making facility where Jeff hand crafts all the raw sheep’s milk cheese. They blend traditional old-world cheese-making methods with a unique farm-to-table experience, in the riverside bistro and cheese shop. The bistro is nestled along the river, in a picturesque setting, offering an exceptional menu of the farm’s seasonal organic meat and produce, with the licensed patio featuring Ontario craft beverages.

Their journey with Frontenac Business Services began in 2015, with financial and advisory support for their business expansion in North Frontenac. This partnership was instrumental in the creation of their state-of-the-art facility, allowing the enhanced production of raw ewe’s milk cheese.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Back Forty shifted to direct sales, demonstrating their keen sense of resilience and innovation. The support from Frontenac Business Services through business insight, networking, financial support in addition to navigating challenges has been influential for them to seize various growth opportunities.

Jeff and Jenna have demonstrated their ability to adapt and to also create a keen sense of community through their successful Curds & Cooks annual summer festival, and their farm-to-table events featuring various local chefs offering their organic products. Back Forty Artisan Cheese is a clear expression of the positive impact of passion, collaboration, and supportive nurturing of a rural business.

Fargo’s General Store has been a cornerstone of the Wolfe Island community since the early 1970’s. The current owner Stephen Fargo, transitioned to owning the store from his father in 1988.

Fargo’s is a quintessential one-stop shop offering an extensive selection of goods ranging from daily necessities to specialty supplies. Visitors can purchase a variety of pantry items, preserves, as well as local produce and meat from the butcher’s counter. The location includes an LCBO outlet, and a variety of items including a range of clothing, boots, and hardware supplies for their customers.

In 2014, when Stephen Fargo acquired the rights to have an LCBO outlet within the store, it marked a significant addition to the store’s services, but required renovations for the new products. It was at this juncture that Frontenac Business Services played an influential role, by providing the necessary financial assistance and guidance for the renovations.

The collaboration with Frontenac Business Services not only enabled the expansion but also helped to broaden the store’s customer base. During the expansion Fargo’s adapted and expanded its inventory to include more groceries, sandwiches, and baked goods, which in turn increased foot traffic and sales.

As Fargo’s approaches over 35 years under Stephen’s ownership, the store continues to thrive. With plans for succession and the anticipated increase in activity from the ferry service, Fargo’s is well-positioned for future growth. This success story emphasizes the importance of local support and business services adapted for specific circumstances, combined with Frontenac Business Services’ role in Fargo’s expansion, securing its place as a beloved community hub.

Sydenham Pet & Farm Supply was founded in 2012 by Bill and Kerry Arthur in the Village of Sydenham. Specializing in high-quality pet and farm products, the store places a priority on Canadian products, supporting local and aligning their business with community values.

Together, they have developed a solid understanding of customer needs, drawing from Bill’s farming background they have curated product offerings which have warranted loyalty in the community. Their expertise in farming and pet care has been essential to the range of products they carry that meet their customers’ expectations, which have contributed to the store’s growth and expanded product lines.

The Arthurs’ venture gained momentum with financial support from Frontenac Business Services, who stepped in, when traditional banks would not, helping them launch and maintain their business with a focus on community connections and customer satisfaction.

After more than a decade in operation, Sydenham Pet & Farm Supply continues to thrive with a commitment to a high standard of service which is instrumental in defining their success. The Arthurs plan to continue this legacy, emphasizing the importance of a customer-first business philosophy built through understanding the needs of the customer and the community.

Their journey as entrepreneurs is underscored by the importance of adaptability, a solid understanding of the business and the market, in addition to the impact of the financial support from organizations like Frontenac Business Services.