According to Gene…
You may or may not have noticed that The Pelican newsletter and the Mainstreet Lac La Biche website and mobile apps are not clearly marked with who “owns them.” There is an excellent reason for that, but to adequately explain, I should begin by telling you a little more about your local “Community Futures.”
CF Has Deep Roots In Community
Some of you may not know that our roots go back to about 1974. While we have had several names, we were always a local not-for-profit focused on supporting local businesses and the community.
In 1986, the federal government started the Community Futures initiative representing every inch of rural Canada with 267 offices. Our local office signed a contract to deliver services, and we’ve never looked back. Why? Because it’s been a perfect fit! For over 35 years now, the program has become one of the most successful federal initiatives, and we are very proud of that.
Volunteers Are the Key
A key to our success is that your local Community Futures is governed by local volunteers working for the success of our region. Though our funding leaves us on a tight budget, we are thankful to be paid a salary to do what we love: helping people and local businesses like you be the best they can be, assisting them with start-up, expansion, and transitions, including retirement.
Besides free business advice, we can provide loans when the bank won’t, and we love to help solve local community economic issues. To do these, we rely on successful grant applications and leveraging our many regional, provincial, and federal partners. And that last word is the key to what we do and why The Pelican and the Mainstreet Lac La Biche initiative do not have our name front and centre. These publications require the collaboration of partners and our entire community.
Everyone Can Make A Difference
These efforts, and all the initiatives and projects we start, champion, or facilitate, are built for everyone, and I invite each of you to participate with us. We can all be part of making LLB a great place to live, work, and play.
With that, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from all of us at Community Futures LLB. Have a safe and healthy holiday and our very best wishes for 2022!
Gene Wesley is the General Manager of Community Futures Lac La Biche.
