By Cecilia Nasmith
Since its July 17 launch, Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation's RE3 Rebuild, Reopen, Revive initiative has rolled out across Eastern Ontario with amazing results – impacting more than 375 women-led businesses and maintaining more than 1,040 jobs.
Funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund – with the Northumberland CFDC receiving $2-million to provide non-repayable contributions of up to $5,000 to eligible women-led businesses, the program has helped with key re-opening expenditures.
These include acquiring supplies of reusable personal protective equipment, reconfiguring work spaces to accommodate social-distancing impacts, and enhancing on-line capacity to improve accessibility and client service.
Women-led businesses often face unique challenges that have been amplified by the economic impacts of COVID-19, the press release said.
The pandemic has disproportionately affected such sectors as retail, hospitality and food services, where women entrepreneurs are most present, resulting in 35% of Northumberland CFDC's total support.
Funding was allocated to businesses in Eastern Ontario, spanning out from Northumberland, across Kawartha Lakes and down through Ottawa and Renfrew County.
The press release carried comments from recipients on the impact of this funding from recipients as far away as Picton, Brockville and Ottawa.
It also contained comments from a Campbellford recipient, Naturopathic Doctor Andrea Bull, who said this assistance helped keep her practice alive.
“Not only am I a businesswoman, Naturopathic Doctor, but I am also a mother of three children,” Bull said.
“This pandemic lockdown has significantly impacted my occupation and income. I needed something that would allow me to work safely and outfit my home office – many patients are reluctant to visit multi-disciplinary clinics and only want to see me at my home office.”
“To see and hear firsthand the impacts of the RE3 initiative across Southern Ontario from our recipients has been outstanding,” Northumberland CFDC Executive Director Wendy Curtis commented.
“We were pleased to execute this program with our partner Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation and quickly place critically needed funds into the hands of women-led businesses to ensure they were resourced to Rebuild, Reopen and Revive for recovery.”
“Together we will continue to work to ensure women entrepreneurs in southern Ontario are well positioned to build back better,” added Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (and Minister Responsible for FedDev Ontario) Melanie Joly.
