Nearly $2 million invested in the community

Victoriaville, July 11, 2023 – The SADC Arthabaska-Érable held its annual general meeting yesterday in Victoriaville, during which the results and highlights for 2022–2023 were presented. The SADC then announced that over the past year it had invested nearly $2 million in the community—an exceptional result for this organization funded by Canada Economic Development.

The past year was a transformative one for the SADC. During this pivotal period, the organization underwent several changes that improved its service offering and enhanced its community profile. Notably, a strategic plan was developed, leading the SADC to undertake a digital transformation and place more emphasis on its communications. A brand-new website (sadcae.ca) was launched, generating an increase in inquiries and requests for support from local entrepreneurs and organizations.

Support for businesses

In addition to providing personalized guidance and advice to 60 businesses to help their projects succeed, the SADC granted loans to 18 businesses totaling $1,423,074. Most of the investment—$1,265,574—came from the regular fund, while $157,500 was invested under the Youth Strategy fund, designed to support young entrepreneurs in carrying out their business ventures. Regarding geographical distribution, 58% of these loans were allocated within the Arthabaska MRC, and 42% in the L’Érable MRC.

Greater involvement in the community

In 2022–2023, the SADC increased its participation in community development. Specifically, it initiated or supported 38 projects, either by dedicating staff time or by providing financial contributions, investing around $100,000 in local initiatives. These included Artha-Récolte, Vélo. Victo. Fest., Circuit gourmand Kingsey Falls, the Sustainable Food System project, the ecological characterization study for Parc Marie-Victorin, Place aux jeunes, the Regional Career Day, and many more.

Enhanced offering in sustainable development

In addition to its long-standing involvement in the Démarche d2 and Économie circulaire Centre-du-Québec, the SADC was able to further assist businesses thanks to Virage vert, a program aimed at accelerating sustainable development in Quebec’s regions, run by the Réseau des SADC et CAE and Canada Economic Development. To help improve their environmental and economic performance, the SADC, in collaboration with Enerprox, offered 10 decarbonization opportunity studies for building heating systems, representing an investment of $60,000 in the local community.

The SADC also offered the Carbone Scol’ERE program in 9 elementary school classes under the Centre de services scolaire des Bois-Francs. Through this series of environmental education workshops, 193 students were educated about climate change, consumption, energy, transportation, and waste management.

A boost for tourism businesses

To support the recovery of tourism businesses, the SADC received financial assistance this year from Canada Economic Development under the Rural Tourism Small Business Assistance Project (PAPETR). This program, intended for investment projects aimed at improving the customer experience, proved extremely popular. Among the 29 applications received, the SADC provided financial support to 13 projects, injecting $294,213 into tourism businesses. Different types of projects were thus carried out, including the purchase of audio guides, gazebos, pergolas, outdoor furniture, inflatable games, tents, and refillable water stations.

“Based on these results, which exceeded our expectations, it is clear that the SADC has fully played its role as a key economic development player in Arthabaska and L’Érable. We owe this success to the dedication of our employees and board members, as well as to our valued partners, without whom we could not have met our objectives,” said Board President, Gaétan Lehouillier.

About the SADC Arthabaska-Érable

Founded in 1984, the SADC Arthabaska-Érable’s mission is to enrich the communities of the MRCs of Arthabaska and L’Érable by supporting and carrying out projects that foster economic, social, and environmental development. The SADC offers various services, including guidance and financing for businesses, and it actively contributes to the community’s vitality by initiating and backing projects that promote entrepreneurship and economic growth.